Printmaking
March 31, 2021 | Sossi Essajanian
Printmaking features the creation of a plate, from which multiple images can be produced using a brayer and ink.
This week the children explored this art medium and how they could express their ideas about lines and buildings.
Wonderings, discoveries, and predictions…
Why do we want them deep?
It feels soft… squishy… bendy.
It’s like a leaf rubbing.
I think the paint will go into [the] holes.
Step 1: Make a plate
The children first made their plate using a foam board and a pencil. They drew lines and designs, making sure to press firmly to make a deep indentation.
Step 2: Print with plate
The children rolled the brayer to cover it with a good layer of ink.
With the brayer covered in ink, they then rolled ink over the design.
Then with a quick flip of the plate, they put ink-side down on the paper. With strong fingers, they carefully smoothed the plate down, pushing hard to allow the ink to be absorbed by the paper.
Finally the big reveal…
The children carefully peeled up the plate to reveal a print of their design.
Sossi Essajanian
Teacher, Sky Class
Sossi Essajanian is excited to continue her teaching and learning journey at the Mustard Seed School. She began teaching at the United Nations International School where she worked with children and colleagues from around the world. This inspired her to take a primary teaching position abroad in Nicosia, Cyprus, where she lived and worked for two years.
Ms. Essajanian has a passion for supporting children’s social/emotional skills and learning through a loving and caring classroom community. These are built on creating shared understandings and opportunities for children to identify and express their feelings and of those around them. She believes in creating experiences through pair and group work where learning blossoms through social experiences.
Ms. Essajanian also enjoys reading and talking about books and continues to pursue her second passion: editing. She’s worked in various editorial capacities in newspapers, magazines, and books. She was recently excited to serve as the development editor of a children’s book about engineering and is looking forward to leading some tinkering investigations of her own with her students!
In her free time Ms. Essajanian runs, swims laps, and likes to take long walks to explore the world around her.
